The Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle defends the United States against long-range ballistic missiles by destroying them while they are still in space. Also known as EKV, the kinetic-force weapon is the intercept component of the Ground-Based Interceptor and part of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System.

That system recorded its first-ever intercept of an intercontinental ballistic missile in May 2017, destroying its target in a Missile Defense Agency test over the Pacific Ocean.

When the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System tracks a threat with its land, sea or space sensors, it launches a Ground-Based Interceptor, which uses its three-stage solid rocket booster to fly out of the Earth's atmosphere at near-hypersonic speeds. Once it has exited the atmosphere, the kill vehicle's job begins.

The EKV seeks out its target using multi-color sensors, a cutting-edge onboard computer and a rocket motor that helps it steer in space. It hones in on the target and, with pinpoint precision, destroys it using nothing more than the force of a massive collision. No traditional warhead is necessary.

The SM-3® interceptor is a defensive weapon used by the U.S. Navy to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. This “hit-to-kill” interceptor uses a kinetic warhead to collide with targets in space, far above population centers below. The SM-3 program is a critical piece of the Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defense in Europe. The newest IIA variant features a larger, more sophisticated kinetic warhead. The EKV and SM-3 vehicles have a combined record of 40 successful intercepts in space.

Redesigned Kill Vehicle

The RKV kill vehicle is the next-generation, cost-effective solution that will leverage mature, proven components to simplify design and improve reliability. From drawing board to deployment, Raytheon is the only company with the unique technical talent, proven success and infrastructure to deliver a simpler, easier-to-produce next generation kill vehicle with a significant reduction in cost.

Multi-Object Kill Vehicle

As part of a contract awarded in 2015, Raytheon is designing a fourth vehicle — called the MOKV kill vehicle, which will destroy several objects in space by using advanced sensor, guidance, propulsion and communication technologies.

Design work on the MOKV kill vehicle concept is underway at Raytheon's Advanced Missile Systems, an industry-leading technology and innovation hub. The company's kill vehicles are assembled in its world-class, one-of-a-kind Space Factory, which has been called a national asset.